


Parker Day

by meils121



Category: Leverage
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday Fluff, Foster Care, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 15:18:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17046092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meils121/pseuds/meils121
Summary: Parker's never told anyone when her birthday is.  When Eliot finally finds out why, he's heartbroken - and determined to figure out a way to make things better.





	Parker Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiss_me_cassie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiss_me_cassie/gifts).



          There’s a lot Eliot knows about Parker.

          He knows her favorite color is green.  He knows she likes three spoonfuls of sugar on her cereal, unless it’s Lucky Charms, in which case she only puts two.  He knows Christmas is her favorite holiday, followed closely by the 4th of July because she likes watching things blow up, even if they’re supposed to (which, according to Parker, makes it slightly less exciting).  

          He knows she doesn’t like soda, for all of her sugar addiction.  He knows she thinks green beans are the best vegetable, if she has to eat one.  He knows her favorite safe model is the Henway 687-QX. 

          He knows these things, and yet there’s so much he doesn’t know.  So much, really, that Parker won’t tell him or Alec or anyone.  Most of the time, he doesn’t let it bother him.  Everyone’s entitled to their secrets, and he’s certainly got a few of his own that no one else on the team knows.  

          But today, Parker’s in a particularly bad mood.  She’s snapped at Hardison and has completely refused to look at Sophie.  Nate tries to talk to her only for her to storm out of the building. 

          “Well.  That went well.”

          “Give her an hour to cool off.”  Eliot says.  “Then I’ll go get her.”

          An hour and twenty-three minutes later, he arrives at the warehouse she calls home.  The door is shut but the lock clicks a few moments after he knocks, so at least Parker’s willing to talk to him.  He steps inside, the building much cooler than the outside heat.  The place is just as weirdly empty as the last time he was here, except for the fact that Parker’s here.

          “What do you want?”  Parker asks.  She’s curled up on the bed in the center of the warehouse.  Her stuffed bunny is clutched tight to her chest.  In the low light, it’s difficult to be certain, but Eliot thinks he might spot tear tracks on her cheeks.  

          “Just checking to see if you’re okay.”  Eliot says.  Maybe he should have sent Sophie.  She’s better at this sort of thing.  But Parker looks up, at least, and studies his face for a moment before shrugging.

          “You can sit.”  She says, pointing to the foot of the bed.  Eliot sinks into the mattress, a little uncomfortable.  Parker looks more vulnerable than he’s ever seen her, broken and _sad_ in a way he hasn’t seen before.  Part of him wants to reach out and hug her, except she’s never exactly been receptive to that sort of thing in the past.  But the way she’s wrapped her arms around herself has his heart aching.

          “Parker -”  Eliot starts, then stops.  He doesn’t actually know what to say.  He doesn’t even know what is wrong, let alone how to fix it.  “What happened?”

          “Nothing.”  Parker says.  She looks up at Eliot, eyes pleading.  “Nothing.  And I thought that was okay, but it doesn’t feel okay.  Why doesn’t it feel okay?”

          “You’re gonna have to explain a little more.”  Eliot says.

          There’s a pause, and Eliot briefly wonders if she’s about to kick him out.  Instead, she wipes the back of her hand across her face, smearing tears, and takes a deep breath.

          “It’s my birthday.”  She says so quietly Eliot almost misses it.

          And that - that was not what Eliot was expecting to hear.  But Parker’s outright refused to tell the team her birthday, getting dangerously quiet when asked, so maybe it’s not so far-fetched after all.  

          “Okay.”  Eliot says slowly.  “And?”

          Parker shrugs.  “I don’t like it.”  She says.  “Birthdays are weird.”

          “You get cake and presents.”  Eliot points out.  “What about that don’t you like?”

          Parker’s eyes flash, her expression souring.  “No, other people get that.”  She snaps.  “Not me.  Never me.  I don’t get parties or cake or gifts or people singing ‘Happy Birthday’.”

          “I don’t understand.”  Eliot says.  “We can’t do any of that if you don’t tell us your birthday.”

          “I - if I tell you, you might forget.”  Parker says.  She looks down at her hands.  “That’s what they always said.  That they just forgot.”

          “Who said that?”

          “My foster parents.”  Parker says.  “They said they forgot my birthday, but their kids always got parties.  Just not me.  They said I was too much trouble anyways.”

          And Eliot’s not really sure what to say to that.  “They’re horrible people.”  He says, because that much is certain.  “And they shouldn’t have done that.”

          Parker shrugs again.  “I guess.”  She says.  “But they did.”

          “Yeah.”  Eliot says.  He glances down at his hands, struggling with seeing Parker look so - _shattered_.  “So that’s why you’ve never told us about your birthday?”

          “Yeah.”  Parker whispers.  “I don’t want to be forgotten anymore.  I don’t like it.”

          “Don’t blame you.”  Eliot says.  He reaches out a hand and Parker takes it after a moment of hesitation.  She grips onto him like he’s a lifeboat, and that’s pretty damn scary.  Eliot’s not sure exactly what he’s supposed to do with all this information.  But he can’t do nothing, not with how small and lost Parker looks right now.

          There’s a lot Eliot doesn’t know about Parker’s past.  She’s never volunteered much information, just little puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit together.  And that’s always how Eliot thought she wanted it.  But right now, he’s thinking maybe they all did her a disservice by not telling her that what used to be doesn’t have to be what is currently.

          “What do you want?”  Eliot finally asks.  “I won’t tell the rest of the team, not if you don’t want me to.”

          Parker shrugs.  “I don’t really care.”  She says.  “It doesn’t really matter anyways.”

          Eliot opens his arms, and Parker pauses for a moment before accepting the hug.  “We won’t ever forget you, Parker.  You’re not the kinda person that’s easy to forget.”

          Parker laughs.  It’s a little wobbly but the sound makes Eliot feel a little better.

 

          Two weeks later, Eliot’s just putting the finishing touches on the cake when Parker walks in.  “What’s going on?”  She asks, taking in all the balloons and streamers and the giant banner that Sophie had insisted on making.  

          “Happy Parker Day!”  They chorus as a team.  

          “We’re celebrating you.”  Hardison says with a grin.  “‘Cause you’re awesome and an important part of the team.”

          Parker looks like she might cry for a minute, and Eliot’s briefly afraid this wasn’t a good idea.  But then she smiles anyways.  “I get a day?”  She asks.  “Just for me?”

          “I put it on all our calendars.”  Hardison says.  “So we can celebrate every year.”

          Parker glances over at Eliot.  He hadn’t wanted to do anything on her birthday, not with how vulnerable she was on that day.  But today is as good a day as any to celebrate the thief that’s lockpicked her way into their hearts.  

          “I love Parker Day.”  She says later.  “Thanks, Eliot.”

          Eliot just smiles and hands her another slice of cake.

 


End file.
